Tag: growing-up

While doing a paid Instagram post a few days ago, I’ve unearthed dozens of photos of T and Doc, growing up together. It was touching and moving to see them both get bigger. I couldn’t use most of the photos, so I thought I’d share them here instead. If you’ve been following my blog or on IG for some time now, you might have seen some of the photos already.

Doc was T’s birthday present when she turned three-years-old.

They love going to the beach …

taking long walks …

over the headlands and fields …

But most of all, even when they were both little, they just liked hanging around together …

Playing …

watching TV …

And just mucking about …

or having a cuddle.

Doc’s most favourite place in the world is …

by little T’s feet.

Always, even as they both grow older.

They are the “bestest friends” in the world. T says “I love him mum, even when he rolls on cow poo”. It must be true love then.

Feeling emotional just after her birthday I told little T. “Where has my little baby gone?” And gave her an exaggerated sad face. For more dramatic effect, I added “My baby is gone!” Gave her another woebegone expression and repeated … My baby is gone! Ended it with wailing sounds, giving Meryl Streep a run for her money and awards. Then I turned to T and said “Instead … I have a little girl now!

T sighed and looked at me in the eye “But mum, if you didn’t have me. You’d be sadder”, she said matter-of-factly. Wise words indeed. Wasn’t it Antoine de Saint-Exupéry author of the much loved children’s book Little Prince who said:

Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.

T must have been thinking just that by the look on her face and the tone of her voice. Today, my ever-so wise child goes back to school as a Year 2 student.

When I was a little girl, I went to a private all-girls school and we only had one type of school uniform – a boring dress and of course, a P.E. uniform. So little T’s choice of uniforms is such an exciting novelty for me.

I love that she can choose to wear a polo-shirt, blouse, pinafore, a skirt, shorts or trousers.

So much choices! Little T though likes to wear the pinafore and skirts over the shorts and trousers, which is a bit surprising, because she used to like shorts. My little girl is certainly growing up 🙁

I’m also happy to share that she has finally settled in school. If you’ve read the past blog posts, you will know that she’s been bursting into tears as soon as the bell would ring. But slowly, she’s been really good and by Friday, she was lining up like the rest of the other kids sans the tears. We thought that she’d be teary-eyed again this morning, because of the break over the weekend, but she was absolutely fine. Phew.

Now the next step is for her to stay till lunch time. Being the youngest in her class, we’ve decided that it would be best if she only attended half-days. We are leaving it to her to decide when she wants to go full-time. I have a feeling it won’t be long now.

What about you?

If you have a little one, are they settled now at school?

For those who don’t have kids, as a child, did you wear school uniforms?

“I’m going to stay till 3” T announced to me like a grown up, as we walked towards her play-school. I said “Okay. Are you sure about this?” I just wanted to make sure that she knew what she was talking about so I rattled on and explained that staying till three means, mummy won’t show up after they’ve had their lunch like I normally do. She was adamant and repeated “I’m staying till three!”

When we got there, she quickly joined her best-friend F and off they went. I approached her again and asked her, just to make sure she hasn’t changed her mind, she actually almost shooed me away. Yes, I know I was probably annoying her. So kissed her goodbye, and left.

I chatted for awhile with F’s parents outside, but at the back of my mind, I kept thinking, how did this happen? She actually looked impatient for me to leave. Whatever happened to that clingy little girl who would say “I want you mummy!” Just last night she clung to me as she cried and asked for her Dad who was away for a couple of days to attend a meeting. She was like a little baby again asking for her mummy and daddy. This morning though, she woke up like an adult, making decisions on her own, leaving her mummy stunned.

Oh dear, this is happening too fast. So I’m thinking now, it’s only past 10 in the morning. So what will I do between now and 3? I suppose I could do some chores like hoover which she hates! Perhaps read the whole day and not just a few paragraphs which I do while T is doing her thing in the bathroom (It takes her ages!). Maybe, I’ll finally get to finish The Years by Virginia Woolf which I’ve been reading for months now. Wait! I could go and watch all the reruns of Downton Abbey or my favourite property programs like Location, Location, Location or sleep! Have a blissful uninterrupted sleep? All these choices of things to do which doesn’t include T is actually making me feel a bit dizzy.

So I’m back to the question, whatever happened to my little baby? How did she go from this sweet little baby:

“Accept the children the way we accept trees—with gratitude, because they are a blessing—but do not have expectations or desires. You don’t expect trees to change, you love them as they are.” - Isabelle Allende